The Pride of Aloha will conclude its Hawai'i service Sunday then sail for its new home port in Miami, leaving only one Norwegian Cruise Lines ship in the interisland cruise market at a time when the local visitor industry is struggling with declining arrivals and rising airfares.

NCL Corp. originally had planned to move the ship to Asia where it would become part of the parent company's Star Cruises line, but announced yesterday that it would be based instead in Miami.

This move will leave only the Pride of America from what had once been a fleet of three U.S.-flagged NCL cruise ships in Hawaiian waters. The departure of the Pride of Hawaii in February, and now the Pride of Aloha are major blows to the local cruise market, once considered a bright spot for the local tourism industry.

And the $12 billion industry is looking anxiously at the fallout from the closing of two airlines with significant Hawai'i routes: Aloha and ATA.

The reflagged Pride of Aloha will become the Norwegian Sky — again — and offer three and four-day Bahamas cruises from Miami starting this summer. The 2,002-passenger ship, built in 1999, will return to the NCL international fleet and will be outfitted with a casino when it heads for a wet dock refurbishing in Miami.

Originally launched in 1999, Norwegian Sky has more than 240 balcony staterooms, a choice of six different restaurants, 10 bars and lounges, multiple entertainment venues, two pools, extensive children's facilities, a sports deck and a variety of spacious public rooms. Norwegian Sky had been reflagged and renamed Pride of Aloha in 2004 and sailed Hawai'i interisland cruises until May 2008.

The company said it will be the youngest ship sailing three and four-day cruises to the Bahamas from Miami beginning July 14. The new itineraries went on sale yesterday from $229 per person for an inside stateroom and from $329 per person for a balcony stateroom.

Colin Veitch, NCL Corp. president and CEO, said the company reversed its decision to send the ship to Asia after learning that Star Cruises planned to try to sell the ship rather than add it to the fleet there.

The Pride of Aloha completes its final scheduled Hawai'i voyage on Sunday. The company has not said when the ship will leave the state permanently.

Veitch said the company is returning to its roots with the short cruises planned for the Bahamas. "NCL pioneered the first Bahamas cruise from Miami more than 41 years ago and last had a ship in the three and four-day cruise market from Miami in 2003," he said.

Veitch said having three ships in Hawai'i wasn't profitable enough for NCL to justify the expense of running the American-flagged ships. He said the company plans to keep the Pride of America here and is "committed to taking reservations through 2010."

Other changes to the ship will include new menus; an upgrade of the stateroom experience; new on-board activities; and additional recognition, service and amenities for balcony and suite guests.